Shin Bet Chief Pledges Compliance: Zini Vows to Follow Law in Election Interference Probe

Shin Bet chief David Zini pledged on Wednesday to act strictly according to the law and to cease violating the instructions of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara regarding the ongoing investigation into alleged foreign interference in the October 27 election. The commitment was made during a lengthy meeting between the two officials, which Hebrew media described as an effort to lower tensions between their offices.

The probe targets four Arab politicians: Mansour Abbas, head of the Ra’am party; Ahmad Tibi, leader of the Ta’al faction; Sami Abou Shehadeh, chief of the Balad faction; and Ayman Odeh, a former Joint List chief. Odeh is suspected of receiving hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash from a foreign source. He is expected to lose his parliamentary immunity next week when new lawmakers are sworn in. According to Channel 13, Zini agreed to hand over all relevant evidence to the Attorney General’s Office and to cooperate fully with her directives.

Baharav-Miara issued a public rebuke of Zini on Tuesday after he refused to provide sufficient evidence to justify questioning three of the four politicians. She stated, “It is not possible to interrogate citizens or elected officials without evidence that justifies it.” The dispute has drawn criticism from senior law enforcement officials who describe Zini’s conduct as negligent and political. One senior source told Channel 13 that Zini appears to be “tossing out names without evidence and parroting Likud’s talking points.”

Zini was appointed to head Israel’s domestic security service last year by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who alleged without presenting evidence that the election was stolen due to high turnout in Arab communities. On Wednesday, Netanyahu again cast doubt on the certified results presented to President Isaac Herzog. He accused Arab-majority parties of supporting terrorism and seeking to erase Israel’s Jewish identity. He called for a swift investigation into “enormous sums of money” he claims came from outside Israel to influence the vote.

Legal sources expressed concern that the Shin Bet’s legal counsel has been sidelined during the push to investigate the lawmakers. Some officials said heavy influence is being exerted to fire the agency’s legal adviser. Yoram Cohen, a former Shin Bet director and incoming Yashar MK, said a potential opposition government would review Zini’s decisions before deciding whether to keep him in the role. Cohen described Zini’s operation as unprofessional but acknowledged the probe itself was legitimate.

Netanyahu argued that a government dependent on Arab parties would struggle to confront radical Islam. He noted that Central Elections Committee head Justice Noam Sohlberg ruled that obstacles to the investigation must be removed. Netanyahu stated, “We must get to the whole truth, without a cover-up and without delay,” while emphasizing the need to protect the integrity of elections and the country.